Till Death
by Lingua Dii
Summary: Kyle's dead, but death is not the end in South Park. Rated T for language.
1. Heaven

What would we do for the ones we love? What would we be willing to sacrifice for them? How far would we be willing to go? These are questions most people hope never to ask themselves. However, Kenny and Kyle weren't most people. From the moment they declared their love for each other, they knew that it wasn't going to end well. For Kenny, it was because nothing ever ended well for him. Kyle, on the other hand, had so many character flaws that he was scared he would drive Kenny away. Yet, in spite of their fears, they stuck together until the bitter end.

* * *

On the night that Kyle died, he was going out with Kenny for their six-month anniversary. After picking him up, Kenny drove Kyle to his favorite restaurant, where Kenny had made reservations.

"Kenny, this is really childish, you know? Why can't you just tell me where we're going?"  
"It's a surprise. Now no peeking!"  
"Fine..."  
"Relax; we're almost there..."

Kyle often became exhausted from Kenny's childish ideas, but he was used to it. They had been friends for as long as either of them remembered, and while their relationship was new, to them, it felt as if they had been dating for years.

"Alright, we're here. You can open your eyes now."

While Kyle tried to see where they were, the blond boy rushed to the other side of the car to open Kyle's door. Kyle was amused by Kenny's gentleman-like behaviour, especially given what he was usually like, but he also appreciated the fact that Kenny tried his best to make him happy, even if it was something he didn't usually do.

"How did you get us reservations here?"  
"I saved up a **lot** of money."

"_Three part-time jobs just for this... I really hope it's worth it._"

"...Thanks for this, Ken. I really needed to get away from my mom."  
"What did she do this time?"  
"You know, the same crap as before. She-"  
"Hello, boys. How can I help you?"  
"Yeah, I made a reservation under the name 'McCormick' for... Well, for right now."  
"Let me just check the computer... Right, this way."

Kenny had reserved a table far away from the most commonly used ones, so they could have some privacy. Tonight, Kyle was his, and **only** his. And he had no intention of sharing him with anyone else.

"_One night just for us... That's much more than we usually have._"

* * *

After the boys payed for their meal, Kenny walked Kyle back to his house, albeit slowly. Neither of them wanted to leave each other's side.

"C'mon, do you really have to go?"  
"It's late, Kyle. Your mom's already on edge about us. If we take too long, she's gonna do something stupid."  
"...I know... I just... I want to be with you..."  
"I know, Kyle. I want to be with you too. But we'll see each other again tomorrow. I promise."  
"...Thanks, Ken."

Kyle intertwined his fingers with Kenny's and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before pulling him into a big hug.

"...You know I love you, right, Ken?"  
"I know. I love you too."

As the boys joined lips for their umpteenth kiss, a dark figure approached them. The stranger was taller and bulkier than both of them, which sent shivers down both of their spines. He approached them, coughing loudly, and finally pointed a gun at them.

"Give me your money or die."

His voice was every bit as intimidating as his appearance, which sent Kyle into a frantic search for his wallet. However, because of Kenny's planning, he hadn't brought a single cent with him, and Kenny had already spent all his money at the restaurant, so his was empty.

"I-I don't have any!"  
"How about you, blondie?"  
"I-I don't have any either. I spent it all..."

The thief, angered by the boys' reaction, pulled the trigger, aiming at Kyle. Kenny tried to protect him by jumping in front of the bullet, but he was too slow. Kyle collapsed onto the ground, bleeding profusely. The thief, surprised and terrified by his actions, dropped his gun, ran as quickly as he could, and finally disappeared. Kenny, in spite of his shaky hands, managed to dial 911, whilst applying pressure to the wound, but it was too late. By the time the ambulance arrived, Kyle was pale and cold. The paramedics still carried his body into the ambulance and attempted to revive him several times on the way to the hospital, but it was of no use. Kyle was gone. Kenny shook his lifeless body in disbelief, until he had to be separated by the paramedics and nearly tied down. His tears flowed just as the blood had flowed from Kyle's wound, until he couldn't cry anymore and completely shut down. He stared absently at the floor as he mumbled Kyle's name, followed by incomprehensible words and sobs. The paramedics glanced at each other, feeling sorry for Kenny, but without showing it. They didn't know what to do in that situation. Anything they did would probably just make Kenny feel worse, and so they decided to remain quiet.

* * *

When the ambulance arrived at the hospital, Kenny slowly dragged himself to the same room they were putting Kyle's body in and sat down next to him. He could hear Kyle's mother over the phone, yelling at the staff, but he didn't care. He was overwhelmed with guilt. He blamed himself for Kyle's death, even though he was still in denial about its occurrence.

"_Kyle... I'm so sorry... I... I can't... I did this..._"

* * *

The entire ward seemed to be completely silent, as if to give Kenny a moment of peace. However, that peace didn't last forever. The next sound he heard was Kyle's mother, screaming at the top of her lungs for her son. She was obviously distraught, which is why nobody dared to question the irrationality of the action, until she finally arrived at the room Kyle was in. She glared at Kenny from across the room and rushed to Kyle's side. She shared Kenny's feelings of denial, but her hatred for Kenny was nothing compared to Kenny's own. At that moment, nobody hated him or could have hated him more than himself. He wanted to die a million times over; not just to punish himself, but to be reunited with Kyle.  
Kenny had never felt so small in his life. The space between himself and Kyle's bed seemed like it would take an infinite amount of time to traverse, yet it was just within arm's reach. Kyle's family's voices seemed like distant, incomprehensible noise, completely drowned out by his own thoughts. They raced through his mind like bullets, all with one constant – suicide. More than anything, Kenny wanted to be with Kyle again. To hold him again. To hear his voice; his childish laughter... Anything. Just seeing him alive again for a fraction of a second would be a nice reprieve from all of his pain. But he knew it wasn't going to happen. Kyle was gone.  
Kenny was so focused on his thoughts that he didn't even notice Kyle's mother approaching him.

"...This is all your fault."

That sentence pierced his mind, completely shattering every one of his thoughts, save for his most suicidal ones. Ike, however, was paying attention to his mother and approached Kenny after she stepped outside, to convince him that it wasn't his fault, even though he believed otherwise.

"...Kenny, I... It's not... You couldn't have..."

Ike tried as hard as he could, but he couldn't tell Kenny what he didn't believe in the first place. He thought it was Kenny's fault just as much as he did; maybe even more so. Every word he said that hinted otherwise just made him angrier at Kenny.

"No. She's right. I did this. I insisted on that stupid date, and now he's dead... This is all my fault."

"_I couldn't save him... He's dead because of me._"

"...I should go."

* * *

Kenny glanced at Kyle one last time and quickly left the hospital. He felt like he was about to pass out, but he managed to stumble his way to his house and into his room, where he finally lied down, exhausted. The only thing on his mind was Kyle, and how much he wanted to be with him again. Suicide would never work; he would just wake up in his room again, as always. As he realized that he wouldn't be with Kyle again until he was too old to remember him anymore, Kenny's hatred for himself grew exponentially, until he could no longer take it anymore. The guilt, pain and loss of Kyle had completely destroyed him. Now he felt compelled to punish himself in every way possible. He ran into his father's room, searching for where he kept his gun, and, once he found and loaded it, aimed it at his heart and shot himself. As he felt his strength fading away once again, Kenny smiled to himself, thinking that this is the way it should have been.

* * *

"_...Where am I?_"

Kyle blinked a few times, trying to focus on what was in front of him, but there was an intense light surrounding him that made it impossible to see.

"It's bright, isn't it? Don't worry; you'll get used to it in a few minutes."  
"...Is this heaven?"  
"What did you expect? You got shot in the heart, kid... Not many people walk away from that."  
"I-I don't... I don't remember that..."  
"Really? Hm... Well, that happens sometimes. I wouldn't worry about that too much. Come on; let me give you the tour."  
"But I can't see..."  
"Oh, right. Sorry! Let me see if I can fix that..."

The stranger placed his hand on Kyle's head, mumbling to himself as he did, and Kyle was finally able to see clearly. The first thing he focused on was his new friend. He was a tall man, with dark brown eyes and a long beard. Every hair on his body was pure white, except for his beard, which still had a few grey ones. The man had a kind smile that made Kyle feel at ease, in spite of his current situation.

"So, uh... Where are all the people?"  
"Up there."

Kyle turned his gaze upward and verified that there were, in fact, countless people above them. They seemed to be standing on a surface that, seen from below, was completely transparent, yet, to them, it was opaque. Or so Kyle thought. They could have just been ignoring the others below, having lived in heaven for so long. He didn't know. He was so amazed by how calmly people seemed to be handling everything that he started to wonder if he wasn't just hallucinating everything.

"I wish I could be up there with them... But I'm stuck here with guide duty for the next thousand years or so. I mean, don't get me wrong; I love this job, but, like all things, it gets boring."  
"What about me? Do I get to go up there?"  
"All in good time, Kyle. Right now you need to go over there."

Kyle looked at where the stranger was pointing. It was a large white building, completely covered in thick mist. Kyle felt somewhat uneasy, but one glance at the stranger's smiling face and the feeling vanished into thin air.

"That's where you need to go, Kyle. Trust me, it's not as scary as it looks."  
"A-Alright."  
"My name's Eli, by the way. Nice to meet you."  
"N-Nice to meet you too..."  
"Well, I have other people to talk to now. See you later!"

Kyle waved Eli goodbye, who became a tiny dot in the distance in a fraction of a second. Kyle was astounded at the old man's incredible speed, but he soon found the reason for it. As he turned around to face the large building, Kyle noticed that it was very far away; it would take him at least a day to reach it. However, when he actually took one step toward it, he was instantly transported to it. He smiled to himself, having figured out the old man's secret. He tried to read the sign on the building, but he couldn't focus on it. When he tried, everything appeared to shake, and his eyes began tearing up in pain.

"Don't try to read that, son. You're gonna hurt your head."  
"Yeah, I noticed..."  
"What're you doing here?"  
"I met this man – Eli – and he told me to come here."  
"Did he also tell you what 'here' is?"  
"N-No..."

"_God damn you Eli... Always leaving me with these newbies..._"

"Long story short, this is where you get assigned someone you're supposed to look after."  
"...What?"  
"Angel duty. Guardian angel, to be specific. It's reserved for the kindest people who come here, but, if you ask me, it's not as glamorous as most people seem to believe. You get to watch some guy or girl as they go about their day and prevent them from having any accidents."  
"That's it?"  
"You'll see when you get down there... Now get in line. We don't have all day."

At first, Kyle thought his acquaintance was just exaggerating, but one look at the line, and his thoughts crumbled. The line seemed to go on forever as it twisted and turned all over the place: the walls, ceiling, and some people were hovering in mid-air as they waited their turn.

"Um... How long does this part usually last?"  
"This is the quickest part. It should only take about a day or so. The actual job lasts a few decades."

"_Awesome._"

"Is there any way to know who I'm going to get before I actually get them?"  
"Whoever needs you the most. It could be your brother, your mother, or a complete stranger. There's no way to know for certain."

"_Kenny..._"

As Kyle's new acquaintance left, Kyle became overwhelmed with sadness. He realized that he wouldn't be able to be with Kenny for a very long time; maybe forever. What if Kyle, as a guardian angel, couldn't be with the rest of the people in heaven? What if Kenny didn't make it to heaven in the first place? It hadn't even occurred to him that Kenny wasn't with him until now. He tried desperately to figure out why that was, but he couldn't. Every time he felt that he was getting close to the answer, it slipped away from him. After a while, he just gave up and glanced over the shoulder of the man in front of him, to see how long it would take. The line didn't seem to have moved an inch, in spite of the fact that Kyle had arrived several hours ago.

"_This is going to take forever..._"


	2. Angel

After nearly a full day of standing around (and sometimes floating around), Kyle finally made it to the front of the line. He had glanced behind himself several times, and it appeared that the people in front of him had actually increased in number while he had been standing there. However, he soon realized that the building itself was adapting its size to accommodate the people inside, although it was still nowhere near enough. There were still people in virtually every corner of the room. However, all of those concerned became irrelevant as he finally approached the booth, eager to end the whole ordeal.

"Alright, what's your name?"  
"Kyle Broflovski, ma'am."  
"Alright, Kyle... Let's see who we have in store for you... You were told about how we choose them, right?"  
"Yeah..."  
"Good. It's just that, sometimes, people start asking 'Oh, why not my uncle?' and stuff like that, and it gets really tiresome to explain everything to everyone."

"_I see why this takes almost a full day... You cannot shut the fuck up._"

"Alrighty... You're going to... South Park, and you get to watch over one... Kenneth McCormick."  
"K-Kenny?"

Kyle once again became overwhelmed with sadness, just from hearing Kenny's name. He wanted to be with him just as much as Kenny did; maybe even more so. He glanced upward at the smiling woman in the booth and started to feel uncomfortable. Everyone around him was ecstatic, and so was he, for a while, but he couldn't figure out why. It was as if he was dreaming most of the time, and only the memory of Kenny could wake him up from it. Kyle finally stopped trying to analyze everything and asked the most important question on his mind.

"When can I go?"  
"We'll just get you some wings and you're off."  
"...Thank you."  
"There's just... a little contract you have to sign."  
"Fine. Whatever it takes."  
"I'm glad you're so eager, but this is serious. The boss doesn't like it when people don't follow his rules."  
"O-OK."  
"Go through that door on the left and you'll be taken to your own little corner of heaven where you can read the contract in peace."  
"But... Kenny might be in trouble!"  
"Don't worry; one day here is one hour down there. Right now he's sleeping safely in his room."

* * *

Kyle nodded and thanked the blond woman once again and rushed into the door. The inside of the room was just like his bedroom, but it had some elements of Kenny's as well. The wallpaper, desk and bed was Kyle's, whereas the bookshelf filled with games belonged to Kenny. It was like someone had taken the best of both rooms and stuck them together. Everything except the most important element to Kyle: Kenny himself.

"_...I can't think about that right now. Gotta read this... contract or whatever..._"

Kyle started reading the contract, and it all seemed fairly logical to him.

"_Can't hurt people... Can't stop Kenny from hurting anyone... Can't stop Kenny from hurting himself... Can't-_"

Once he got to the bottom, however, his eyes immediately started tearing up.

"_...Can't interact with Kenny directly or let him know I'm there... Why would they forbid this? I can't just sit there and watch him... He needs me. That's why I got him in the first place. Who the fuck made these fucking rules?_"

"DAMMIT!"

Kyle ripped the contract in half and started breaking everything he could get his hands on – the desk, the chair, the walls – until he became too tired to move and had to lie down. A few seconds later, everything returned to normal, and he started crying again.

"_Dammit... I can't do this... But if I don't do it, I don't get to see him... I have to do this... Even if it hurts._"

Kyle hesitantly picked up the pen and shakingly signed the contract. He tried to pick it up afterward, in order to deliver it to the same woman in the booth, but it had increased in weight several times. To him, it appeared as if it weighed as much as his desk. After a while, the piece of paper simply lifted itself into the air and disappeared. At that moment, the room was bathed in light, which immediately enveloped Kyle. The light formed itself into a pair of wings as white as snow, and he was thrown back to Earth. He appeared just above Kenny's bed, where the latter was sleeping soundly.

"_Kenny..._"

Kyle smiled to himself, happy that he was finally back with Kenny. He watched him sleep for hours, until he fell asleep himself, still hovering above Kenny.

* * *

The following morning, Kenny started crying as soon as he woke up. All he could think about was Kyle, and how much he missed him. Kyle watched in silence as Kenny shuffled around in his room, searching for one of his many drug stashes, and finally took a bunch of different pills. He watched as Kenny slowly became more relaxed, albeit still with tears rolling down his cheeks, saddened by the fact that his absence was the cause of Kenny's depression. He wanted to show himself to Kenny, but he was too scared that they would take away his wings, and then he wouldn't be able to see him again.

"Kenny? Are you in here, bro?"  
"...I'm here, Kevin. What do you want?"  
"I heard what happened... I just wanted to say I'm sorry."  
"Great. You've said it. Now leave me alone."  
"Kenny, you don't have to go through his alone. You-"  
"Kevin, just leave me the fuck alone. You have no idea what I'm going through. Talking about it doesn't make me feel better; it just makes me feel worse. I want to be **alone**. Is that too fucking hard to understand?"  
"...I get it, Kenny. You don't have to tell me twice."

"_Great. Now he's sad. Fucking Kevin..._"

"...Anyway, are you going to Kyle's funeral?"  
"When's that?"  
"It's today; around 10, I think."

"_So soon? I'd ask why I wasn't told, but the answer is obvious. Kyle's mom blames me for what happened... And she's right to do it._"

"...Thanks, Kevin."  
"I'm only here to help, bro."

As Kenny's brother left and Kenny resumed his crying, Kyle's sadness increased. He blamed himself for what was happening to Kenny, even though he couldn't have done anything about it. He was also starting to understand why he had been sent to watch over Kenny, and not anyone else in the entire world. Kenny was a wreck without him.

"_I wish you could hear me, Kenny... I wish you weren't in so much pain... I'm so sorry._"

* * *

Later that day, just as Kenny was heading out to Kyle's funeral, he was visited by Ike and Butters. Naturally, he was surprised by their visit, with Kyle's funeral an hour or so away. He started to wonder if they were even going until they interrupted his train of thought.

"Hey, Kenny. Me and Butters came here to talk."  
"I have somewhere I need to be. Talk fast."  
"We just wanted to know how you were doing. We want to help."  
"Let me tell you how you can help..."

Kyle watched Kenny yell at Butters and Ike, telling them that he didn't want to talk about what had happened and that he just wanted to be left alone. Whereas his friends became angry at Kenny's reaction, Kyle simply became sadder and sadder. Kenny was clearly unstable because of what had happened. He was erratic, angry, sad, depressed and twitchy. All he seemed to want was to be alone, high and drunk all the time. To Kyle, seeing Kenny destroy himself like that was the most painful thing he had felt since he got shot.

"Kenny, are you alright?"  
"I'm fine."  
"You look... high."  
"And what would you know about that, kid? You're, what? 14?"  
"Yeah. And I go to school. Your pupils are dilated, you're sweating-"  
"That's because I'm pissed off!"

"_Right. And we're very happy right now. Hence the smiles_"

"...Look, I just want to be left alone. Please."  
"...Alright, Kenny. Ike and I are going to leave you alone. We have something to do too."

"_That sounded weird..._"

"Good for you. I'll see you both later."

* * *

Kenny headed to the town cemetery and watched Kyle's funeral from afar. He knew that if he was seen, Kyle's mother would make a scene, as she always did. Kenny, however, respected Kyle too much to crash, and possibly ruin, his funeral.

* * *

Butters and Ike looked around, wondering why the funeral had been planned so quickly, and yet so late. However, once they saw Kenny standing next to a large tree, watching them, their questions became irrelevant. They had intended on telling him about the funeral, but Kenny was clearly not in his right mind at the time, so they thought it was best to just leave him in the dark and talk to him when he had calmed down. Of course, now it was pointless to dwell on their mistake. Kenny obviously knew about the funeral, but, he wasn't going to do anything stupid. Not yet anyway.

* * *

After everyone left, Kenny took the small bouquet he had bought with what little money he had left and laid it on top of the others. He held back his tears for as long as he could, until he felt too depressed to care and fell to his knees, crying. Kyle watched as Kenny wept, feeling just as depressed as he did. He was about to try to speak to Kenny, in spite of his fear, when Kenny himself broke the silence. At first it was just garbled words, but, as Kenny fought against the urge to cry, his words became more clear.

"-'m sorry, Kyle... This was all my fault... You are – were – perfect, and I screwed it all up."

"_I have to say something... I can't hold my tongue forever. Not like this..._"

"I hope you'll forgive me."

"_Because I sure as hell can't._" thought Kenny as he got back on his feet.

"...There's nothing to forgive, Kenny. It wasn't your fault."  
"Stan? Don't you know eavesdropping is rude?"  
"I just got here. Just long enough to hear you blame yourself for what happened."  
"Who else is there to blame?  
"Maybe the guy with the gun?"  
"**I** made him go out that night. **I** picked the restaurant. **I** wasted all my money on that dinner."

"_You're actually blaming yourself for not having enough money for both your boyfriend and some mugger? What the hell is wrong with you?_"

"...Look, Kenny, you didn't do anything wrong. It's not your fault. If Kyle were here, he'd say the same thing, and you know it."

"_Damn right I would._"

"But he's **not** here. And even if he was, that doesn't mean he'd be right. Anyways, **I** know what happened. You don't. So shut the fuck up and leave me alone."  
"...I'm just trying to help, Kenny."  
"You know, I am sick and tired of people 'just trying to help'. I've heard that **four god damned times today**. You, Ike, Kevin, Butters... You wanna help? **Leave me alone.** I don't want to talk about Kyle. I don't want to talk about me. I just want to be left alone so I can deal with this **my** way."

"_'My way' is just code for 'drinking and doing drugs until I can't feel anything anymore'._" thought Stan as he fought the urge to yell back at Kenny.

"As far as I care, you can take your 'just want to help' crap and shove it. And you can tell that to everyone else who wants to bother me. **Leave me the fuck alone.**"

Stan and Kenny glared at each other, until the former turned around and reluctantly left Kenny alone. Although Kenny was one of his best friends, and he really did want to help, Kenny's attitude was eating away his good-will. It wasn't just Stan either; everyone who interacted with Kenny for an extended period of time lost their will to help him. The only one who still wanted to help him just as much as when he found out about his situation was Kyle. Like Kenny, he blamed himself for what had happened. However, most of his pain derived from seeing Kenny suffer and not being able to do anything about it, rather than his own guilt. Kenny, on the other hand, was being crushed under the weight of his guilt. The separation from Kyle only made it worse. Every breath, every step he took; nothing felt right knowing that Kyle was dead. The only thing that had felt even remotely right since he died was the pain.

* * *

Once Stan was no longer visible, Kenny started heading back home. He briefly wondered why Ike and Butters had gone to his house to see him and didn't even bother to tell him about the funeral.

"_Maybe they actually though they were helping? Or... maybe they just knew that Kyle's mom would start bitching about how it's all my fault... She has to make __**everything**__ about her, even if it's all about... __**him**__._"

* * *

When Kenny finally got back home, a thought, born out of desperation and anger, popped into his head. If he couldn't get Kyle back, then at least he could get revenge on the guy who shot him.

"_Stan's right. That fucker took him away from me... And he's going to feel my pain if I have to give it to him myself._"


	3. Safe

The reason why I uploaded so many chapters at once is because it took a while to contact the necessary number of beta readers.

* * *

After futilely trying to fall asleep for almost an hour, Kenny slowly and silently made his way into his parents' room and took his father's gun once again. As Kyle realized what he was about to do, Kenny wondered if this was going to be his life from now on: killing himself to make the pain stop and be able to rest. Like before, he aimed it at his heart, but, when he pulled the trigger, nothing happened. In spite of his contract and the paralyzing fear, Kyle had jammed the gun so that it wouldn't fire. Kenny pulled the trigger several times, but the gun still wouldn't fire. Kenny lied down on his bed and tried pulling the trigger one last time, but it was pointless. Kyle wasn't going to let him hurt himself.

"_What the hell is going on?_"

Kenny hid the gun under his pillow, the pain slowly fading away. He didn't understand what was going on, but he felt more at ease, even though everything he had tried to make the pain go away didn't work. Kyle immediately noticed the change in Kenny's behavior and became relieved. It didn't look like Kenny was about to try to kill himself again, and he had figured out how to use his powers. He hadn't even thought about asking how he was supposed to do that, as he just wanted to be with Kenny again.  
However, even as relief washed over him, a thought started creeping into his brain. He had broken the contract he had signed, just one day after signing it. Kyle wondered why he hadn't been punished for his transgression, but he was soon proven wrong. A small portal opened on Kenny's bedroom ceiling, and he was sucked into it. Just as he did, Kenny's pain returned, and he fell asleep.

* * *

Kyle was once again blinded by the same white light he had seen when he first arrived in heaven, but his eyes grew accustomed to it in just a few seconds. Eli was staring at him, but he didn't appear to be angry. Still, Kyle was frightened beyond description.

"Hey, Kyle. Sorry about that. You left before I had a chance to tell you about your new powers."  
"Y-Yeah?"  
"Alright, so, basically, to do something, you just need to want it to happen. Be careful, though; if you break something, it stays broken forever. No way to fix it unless the big man wants it fixed."  
"So... if I want, say... an object to move around, I just have to want it to happen?"  
"Well, it's a little more complicated than that. It's almost like you have to **need** it to happen... You'll figure it out."

"_I think I already have._"

"Well, time to send you ba-"  
"W-Wait! I need to know... What if... I wanted to do something that violated that contract I signed?"  
"Well, if someone was watching you do it, you'd get in big trouble. They'd take away your wings, or worse."

"_I can't think of anything worse than being away from Kenny forever._"

"I see..."  
"But why would you want to? Heaven is... well, it's heaven! It's perfect."  
"I-I'm not saying I want to. I was just... curious... Still, you make a good point... It is perfect..."

In spite of his hesitation, Kyle really was starting to feel better about everything. Even breaking his contract didn't seem that important, now that he was back in heaven.

"Good! Time to send you back then... Unless you wanna stay here while it's night down there. That's what most guardian angels do. They like it here... Who wouldn't, right?"  
"...No, that's fine... Send me back."  
"Alright... I'll see you in about a month or so!"

Eli waved his arm, sending Kyle back to Earth... and to Kenny. Kyle was somewhat relieved that nobody knew that he had broken his contract, but now all he cared about was keeping Kenny safe, no matter the cost to himself. Kenny, unaware that Kyle was trying to protect him, could only think about revenge. Stan's well-intended advice had given Kenny the outlet he needed. He didn't actually believe he would be able to find the guy he was looking for – South Park was a big town – but just looking for him was enough to make him numb to the pain.

* * *

In his dreams, however, it was a whole different story.

"_Kyle..._"

"C'mon, Ken. Let's go home."  
"W-Wait!"

Kenny looked around himself and Kyle. It was dark and blurry, which made it impossible to make out anything. The only thing that he could see clearly was Kyle. He almost seemed to glow.

"What is it, Ken? Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark. You're supposed to be the brave one!"

While Kenny tried to figure out what was going on, a shadow emerged. Kenny wrapped himself around Kyle as best he could, to protect him. The shadow pulled out a gun and shot him, but the bullet simply went through Kenny, hitting Kyle instead. Kenny held on to Kyle, crying and sobbing, but, eventually, Kyle slipped from him and fell on the ground. His glow slowly faded away as he merged with the background, leaving Kenny alone. He dropped to his knees, still crying and sobbing, trying to get Kyle back, but he failed. Kyle completely merged with the background and disappeared, leaving behind a thin layer of dust shaped like himself. Kenny picked himself up from the ground and dashed into the darkness, trying to find the shadow. He ran after it, but no matter how hard he tried, it always slipped away from him, laughing as it did. The shadow became more difficult to spot, as it was also merging with the background. Eventually it faded away completely, angering Kenny even further.

"Come on out, you fucking coward!"

Kenny yelled several times, trying to draw out the shadow, but each scream became less intense as a deep sense of loneliness started to set in. Near the end, he was once again on his knees, crying and sobbing because he had lost Kyle.

* * *

Kenny woke up covered in sweat and tears. Kyle had been watching him as he twisted, turned, cried and sobbed during his nightmare, but he didn't even try to help. The fear had once again gotten a hold of him. Kenny, oblivious to Kyle's presence, simply lied back down and stayed that way until the sun came up. Kyle stayed up all night watching him, trying to figure out what was going on in his head. Kenny was clearly not himself anymore. Kyle's death was taking its toll far sooner than it should have. Kenny hadn't even smiled since Kyle died. Now he was consumed by a burning desire to get revenge on the guy who had killed Kyle, and nothing more.  
When Kenny saw the sunlight on the ceiling, bleeding through the window, he got up, with a stern look on his face, and reached for his pocket knife. As Kenny checked if it was still sharp, Kyle became concerned as to what he was going to do with it. However, before he gave Kyle any more hints, Kenny hurriedly put it back in his pocket when he heard footsteps heading toward his bedroom door.

"_Kenny... What's going on in there?_"

"Bro, time to wake up."  
"Hm..." Kenny groaned, pretending to have just woken up. "What time is it?"  
"Time to get ready for school."

"_School... I haven't been there in a couple of days... Not since..._"

"...Thanks."

Although Kenny didn't want to face his friends, he knew that he needed to move on, eventually. Acting as if everything was alright seemed like a fairly good idea to him. At least for now.

* * *

During the short recesses between classes, Kenny sat alone in the library. He knew his friends would still be trying to help, even though he told Stan how he felt about that, and the library was the last place they'd think to look. Besides, due to his clothing, he'd be easy to spot even if he tried to hide amongst the crowd. However, as luck would have it, Stan had recently borrowed a book from the school library, and now he had to return it. Just as Kenny thought, he was the first thing Stan noticed. He approached him slowly; there was no need to rush, and there was nowhere for Kenny to run.  
The boys sat in silence, occasionally glancing at each other when the other one wasn't looking, but never at the same time. Eventually Stan broke the heavy silence surrounding them.

"...Look, Kenny... I'm not going to talk about... You know. I think you know what's best for you. Even if you don't, I have to trust you... You're my best friend, Kenny. I don't want us to stop being friends just because..."  
"Yeah, I know... I also know that I told you I wanted you to leave me alone. If you **really** want to save our friendship, I recommend you do that."  
"...You know what? Fuck you. I'm trying to be nice; to be a friend, and you keep pulling that same crap. I know you're hurting. We all know you're hurting. But you're not the only one who liked Kyle. He was my friend too. He was Ike's **brother**. Is it so hard for you to believe that we're all feeling crappy because Kyle's gone?"

Before Kenny could even muster an answer, Stan got up, returned his book, and left the library as quickly as possible, leaving Kenny even more depressed. He knew that Stan was right about everything. He knew that he shouldn't be so harsh on his friends, who really were just trying to help. However, when they started talking about Kyle, all he could think about was the man who had killed him, and so he lashed out at them. Of course, it wasn't them he wanted to hurt. However, the realization that Stan was right about whose fault it was had left him unable to calm himself. It was already bad before, but now he was completely out of control. Thoughts raced in his mind, blood pumped in his ears, and he could feel his every muscle twitching at the same time. More than that; he had changed, and he knew it. Kyle knew it too, but he refused to believe it. He was hoping that it was just a temporary thing; that once Kenny got over his death, he would be alright.  
Kenny didn't have much time to think about that, as the bell indicated the start of a new class. He headed to his classroom as quickly as he could, trying to forget everything that he had just thought about.

"_Focus... School now; you can search for... that guy later._"

* * *

Once everyone at his house was asleep, Kenny left to roam the streets, intent on finding the man who had killed Kyle. He searched everywhere he knew of where people like him lived, to no avail. Every place was a reminder of his life before Kyle – going through each of these locations to buy drugs, then getting high back at his house. If he couldn't wait to get high, he'd usually spend the night there too. Then Kyle came along and dragged him out of that life. Since then, he had gone through rehab and cut ties with everyone he knew. He still kept his stashes in his room, in spite of Kyle's objections, but he had never touched them... until now. Kyle watched as Kenny roamed the streets, trying to figure out what he was looking for. His questions were answered just as Kenny came across a familiar face. When he was faced with the man who had caused him so much pain, Kenny's rage flared up again. He reached for his pocket knife and clenched his fists almost to the point of bleeding. The man, realizing who Kenny was, became as scared as Kyle did when he broke his contract.

"H-Hey, let's not do anything stupid!"  
"Shut the fuck up. Do you know what you did?"  
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"  
"Right... You know what I'm gonna do?"

"_Kenny, don't..._"

"I am going to take this knife, and I am going to hurt you. When we're done, you'll feel as bad as I did."

"_Dammit... I have to stop him._"

Every time Kenny took a step in the man's direction, the man took a step backward, until he had his back against the wall.

"P-Please... Don't..."

In spite of his earlier willingness to kill the man who had killed Kyle, now that he was faced with the choice, Kenny's anger subsided, giving way to doubt and compassion. Kyle, however, didn't notice any of it and decided to take action.

"Kenny, stop!"

As Kyle became visible, he began to emanate a light so intense that it lit up the entire block, before, slowly, becoming dim enough to look at directly. The man, terrified beyond all rational thought, ran as quickly as he could, leaving Kenny alone with Kyle. Kenny dropped the knife and unclenched his fists as he turned around and looked at Kyle.

"Kyle... Are you... an angel?"


	4. Return

Later that night, Kyle had already taken Kenny home, and they were discussing Kyle's new status.

"How long?"  
"I don't know. Time works differently up there, and I don't know when I got there."  
"And you've been here without saying anything?"  
"...I shouldn't even be talking to you. It's a violation of the contract I signed... They could take away my wings."  
"Why don't you just... disappear then?"  
"I've been trying... I can't."

"_I don't want to._"

"What does that mean?"  
"It's tough to explain..."

Kenny and Kyle sat down next to each other on Kenny's bed. Kyle was shaking slightly, which didn't go unnoticed by Kenny.

"What's wrong?"  
"...I'm scared, Ken. I can't take back what I did, and I'm scared they're not gonna let me see you again."

In response, Kenny put his arms around Kyle, who immediately broke into tears. They rolled down his cheeks and evaporated into tiny dots of light before dissipating completely. Kenny simply held on to him until his tears stopped. Kyle turned his gaze upward – into Kenny's bright blue eyes – and smiled. Kenny reciprocated, and the boys kissed. As they kissed, they started lying down on Kenny's bed, finally breaking the kiss when they were already lying down.

"I missed you, Kyle."  
"...I missed you too, Ken."

"_I love you._"

* * *

Back in heaven, Eli turned his gaze toward Kyle. Seeing him cuddling with his boyfriend, he sighed.

"_Kyle... This isn't good._"

* * *

Kenny woke up the next day to find himself alone. He looked around, but Kyle was nowhere in sight. Fearing the worst, he called out to him several times before receiving an answer. However, it wasn't Kyle who answered.

"Kenny! You're dreaming!"

"_If only you knew what was really going on, Kevin..._"

Kenny still feared for Kyle's safety, so he started looking everywhere. In the closet, under the bed, in the bathroom...

"_Do guardian angels even go to the bathroom?_"

Kenny eventually gave up and returned to his room, where he finally found Kyle.

"Where were you?! I was worried!"  
"I-I'm sorry... I was scared, so I... I hid... I'm sorry."

With that, Kyle disappeared, leaving Kenny alone once again.

"Kyle!"

Kenny called out to Kyle a few more times before finally breaking into tears. Kyle watched everything that happened, his heart heavy with guilt and regret, yet he didn't say anything. He didn't want Kenny to suffer, but he knew that leaving forever would just cause him more pain than simply not being visible.

"_I'm sorry, Kenny, but I just can't risk it... Forgive me._"

"Kyle... I know you can hear me... I need you. Don't you get that? I **need** you. I don't know what I'd do... I love you... Please, just... come back."

"_Dammit, Kenny... Don't you think I know that? I can't... Dammit..._"

* * *

Just as Kyle surrendered to his desire and was about to become visible again, Eli pulled him from Earth and to a remote corner of heaven. There was nothing around or above them, and he looked upset. It was the first time Kyle had seen Eli this way, which, by itself, scared him beyond almost anything else. The fact that he had broken his contract once again and remained visible for several minutes just added to the fear.

"Kyle..."  
"H-Hey, Eli. W-What's wrong?"

"_As if you don't know..._"

"I saw you, Kyle. I saw you with that boy."

"_I'm screwed._"

"I-I'm sorry. H-He's my boyfriend, a-and-"  
"Kyle, you know you're not supposed to do that!"  
"A-Are you gonna r-report me?"  
"Hm..." he sighed. "I..."

Eli turned his gaze downward and toward Kyle, who looked like he was about to burst into tears. Seeing Kyle in that state made him feel sorry for him, but he knew what he had to do.

"...I'm sorry, Kyle, but I have no choice."  
"What are they gonna do?"  
"I don't know... Probably just put you back."

"_That doesn't sound too bad..._"

"After taking away your memory, of course."  
"You can't do that... Please, Eli. It won't happen again."  
"I'm sorry, Kyle..."  
"...How long will it take until they decide what to do with me?"  
"A little over two weeks up here, which is less than a day down there."  
"...Don't do this."  
"...I have no choice."

In a fraction of a second, Eli had vanished. Kyle tried to chase after him, but he was nowhere to be found.

"_He probably went to wherever it is that he has to go to ruin my life._"

Kyle looked around, trying to figure out where he should go. They were about to take his wings, and it didn't look like they cared about what he was going to do next. With that in mind, Kyle turned his gaze downward. Kenny was moving very slowly, which was to be expected, but those subtle movements told him everything he needed to know. Kenny was calling out to him. In any other situation, Kyle would've spent every second he could with Kenny, but now, being in heaven made him feel better about everything, even if it was all going downhill. He didn't want to go back to Earth. He wanted to stay in heaven, and spend what little time he had left without any pain.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kenny had given up trying to call Kyle, and was back to his depressed state. Now that he had finally spent a few additional moments with Kyle, he realized that it wasn't enough. He wanted more. He wanted everything.

* * *

Time passed, with Kyle wandering aimlessly in heaven for days and Kenny sitting at home, crying every few hours. He had simply given up. School, his future; everything seemed pointless now that he had had to watch Kyle go away for the second time. Kyle occasionally glanced at him, but he tried not to think about his situation. The less he thought about it, the better he felt about everything, and that was good enough for him. Kenny, on the other hand, couldn't stop thinking about Kyle. He grew concerned. What if Kyle wasn't avoiding him? What if he had been sent back to heaven? It hadn't even crossed his mind until now that what he wanted Kyle to do was incredibly selfish. He wanted Kyle to give up everything for him, even though he wasn't prepared to make the same sacrifice. The more he thought about it, the more he became convinced that it was better if Kyle just stayed away.

* * *

The sun finally went to rest, leaving the town of South Park enveloped in darkness. Kenny, however, couldn't sleep. He kept walking around frantically in his room for reasons beyond his comprehension. His gut told him that he needed to be awake; that there was something important going on. Even though he was trying to ignore that feeling, he still couldn't sleep. His dad's gun was permanently jammed, and the idea of cutting himself was just too disgusting to even consider, and so he stayed awake. With each passing moment, he grew bored. His mind was empty; there was nothing to do and nothing that could be done.  
Kenny began to wonder if he was insane; if the short time he had spent with Kyle after his death was nothing more than a hallucination, brought on by desperation, panic and anger.

"_Maybe it was all a dream... Maybe I'm still dreaming... No. __**No**__. What the fuck am I thinking? It was real. I __**know**__ it was real. I felt his warm breath on my neck; his soft skin against mine... Everything. It was real._"

Kenny decided to go for a walk, to relax. He picked up a small box, which was once intended for Kyle, and left for the small lake at the edge of South Park. Once there, he lied down on the cold ground and stared at the sky. It was unusually clear that night, so many stars were visible. Out of boredom, he started counting them until his previous sadness returned, and tears danced across his face.

* * *

Meanwhile, in heaven, Kyle turned his gaze downward for the hundredth time. After spending so much time in heaven, he had almost become completely numb to Kenny's pain. All he felt was a slight throbbing coming from his chest, and nothing more. He didn't flinch or blink. He just stared at Kenny, who was almost always in tears or with his face covered by his hands, as if to hide from something. Probably Kyle himself.

"_Why won't he just give up? Why can't he let go?_"

* * *

Kyle spent almost a full day thinking about everything that had happened in the last couple of weeks. He had broken his contract, just to keep Kenny safe and to be with him. The only question on his mind was one that was incredibly difficult for him to answer.

"_Was it worth it?_"

* * *

As Kyle looked at Kenny once again, the pain in his chest increased. He felt as if he had just been shot again. At that moment, he knew what he had to do. With a thought, he returned to Kenny, intent on making the best of what little time he had left. Like before, his appearance was preceded by an intense light that surrounded everything around him; an effect that Kenny immediately recognized. He picked himself up and wiped his tears as he gazed into Kyle's piercing green eyes.

"Kyle..."  
"Hey, Ken."  
"What made you come back?"  
"...I needed to think. Away from... up there. That place; it... it messes with your head. You bliss out; it's like you're under a spell or something... But, deep down, I think I knew what I had to do."  
"And what's that?"  
"I had to come back... They're gonna take away my wings, Ken, a-and I'd like to be with you for as long as possible."  
"...What did you have in mind?"  
"...Nothing."

"_Nothing at all._"

"I just had to come back. I shouldn't have left you alone in the first place... I'm sorry, Ken."  
"No. You did the right thing. I've been thinking about it, and I shouldn't have tried to force you to stay... **I'm** sorry."

"_I'm sorry I screwed everything up._"

Kenny's subtle twitches, and the fact that his eyes had been slowly drifting toward the floor told Kyle that he was feeling depressed. Upon realizing this, Kyle put his arms and wings around him, completely enveloping him. Kenny's tears rolled down his cheeks as he reciprocated and held on to Kyle as if his life depended on it. He kept repeating that he was sorry, to which Kyle responded by gently rubbing his hands all over his back and squeezing him lightly.  
Kyle was still glowing, which eventually made Kenny stop crying. Kyle's light had the same effect as heaven had on Kyle; it made him forget everything that was wrong at that moment. All that mattered was Kyle and the fact that they were together again. He finally smiled for the first time since Kyle died. Kenny relaxed and started breathing more slowly, which didn't go unnoticed by Kyle. Kenny once again looked into Kyle's eyes, and the boys kissed, their tongues intertwining. Just as they broke the kiss, Kyle became translucent against his will. He felt himself being pulled back to heaven, which prompted him to wrap his arms around Kenny.

"I-I'm being pulled back... I don't want to leave you... Not now... I'm scared, Kenny."

In response, Kenny also tried to hold on to Kyle for as long as possible, until he became intangible and finally vanished altogether.

"_Kyle..._"

* * *

Kyle's eyes adapted to the light in just a few seconds, prompting him to take a good look at his surroundings. He was in the middle of what appeared to be an incomplete courtroom. There was a stand where he had been placed, next to the judge's seat, and another, empty, stand for a jury, but nothing more. There were no walls or doors; nothing whatsoever. The few pieces that made up this courtroom appeared to be floating up and down on their own rhythm, but there was no sound or any signs that anything around them was being moved by them.

"Kyle, is it?" said the judge.

The judge himself was the spitting image of Eli: long white beard and hair, piercing blue eyes and a white robe. If it weren't for his booming voice, Kyle wouldn't believe it wasn't him.

"Y-Yes, sir."  
"Says here you were assigned to watch over one... Kenneth McCormick; is that correct?"  
"Y-Yes, sir."  
"What went wrong?"  
"I-I... I interfered... I... I kept him from hurting himself."  
"Hm... What else?"  
"I... I revealed myself to him, in order to keep him from hurting another man."  
"Hm..."

The judge mumbled some incomprehensible words; his eyebrows joined together as he closed his eyes and focused on Kyle's case. The judge's breathing was slow and deep; Kyle could practically hear his diaphragm contracting and expanding. Kyle occasionally looked at Kenny, who, in turn, was looking up at him. After a very long time, the judge finally reached a conclusion. He stared into Kyle's eyes, sending shivers down his spine, and finally broke the heavy silence surrounding them with his deep voice.

"Kyle, because of your transgressions, I'm going to take away your wings. You will never be able to regain your status as guardian angel. Do you understand this?"  
"I... I-"

Just as Kyle was about to finish his sentence, the judge was pulled away by an invisible force. Kyle became so frightened that he couldn't move an inch. The judge returned soon afterward, with his face even more serious than before.

"Kyle, due to... extraordinary circumstances, I'm going to give you a choice. You can either go through the selection process over again – and note that you will **not** be taking care of Kenneth McCormick ever again – or you can be sent back to Earth, with your memories intact."  
"...What about everyone else? Would they remember me?"  
"Just the human you were taking care of. Everyone else will just think you were on vacation. They won't remember anything. But you won't be able to regain your status as guardian angel. You'll be sent up, with the rest of the humans."  
"What about Kenny? Will he be sent up as well?"  
"That's up to him. If he's a good person, he'll be sent up. If not..."  
"...I want to go back."  
"Are you sure? Heaven for humans doesn't work like it does for us. You won't always be happy up there."  
"...I can't be happy here... Not without him."

The judge sighed loudly, to emphasize his disappointment over Kyle's choice. However, the judge himself had no choice but to accept Kyle's decision.

"Very well."

The judge banged his oversized gavel three times, and his loud voice once again echoed in the courtroom.

"Kyle Broflovski, you are hereby sentenced to live on Earth, as a mortal, until the end of your days."

* * *

The judge waved his hand, sending Kyle directly to Kenny in a ball of light. Kyle was being tossed around inside it, which made it impossible to see where he was going... until he arrived. Once he realized that he was still at the lake, he stumbled his way toward Kenny. He would've fallen too, due to his dizziness, if it weren't for Kenny's quick reflexes and strength. In less than a second, Kyle was in Kenny's arms. Kyle smiled and gazed lovingly into Kenny's eyes, who immediately locked lips with him. As their tongues danced together, Kyle felt happier than he had been in months. The only time he had felt this happy was when he and Kenny got together and finally kissed for the first time. Kyle eventually broke the kiss, to thank Kenny for his aid.

"H-Hey, Ken. Thanks for grabbing me."  
"I can't believe you're back... Is everything alright?"  
"...Everything's fine, Ken."

"_Better than heaven could ever be._"

"But... what happened?"

Kenny put Kyle on the floor, as his arms were getting tired, and Kyle told him everything. He told him about the contract, how he had broken it, and his "punishment", which he gladly accepted.

"Why did he give you a choice?"  
"...I don't know. He just left the room... When he came back, he looked pissed. Do you think someone did something to him?"  
"To be honest, I don't really care. I'm just glad that you're back."  
"...Me too, Ken."

"_Although I can't help but wonder what happened to the judge..._"


	5. True Love

Meanwhile, in heaven, the judge, along with Eli, approached the one who had given Kyle the choice. They both felt that his decision had been a foolish one, although they would never say it out loud.

"Sir, if you don't mind my asking... Why did you give the human that choice?"  
"...Look down. Do you see those two? That's true love. You know how I feel about that."  
"Sir, with all due respect... They're only human."  
"You were once human, Eli. You both were. I hope I don't need to remind you... Or are you questioning my decisions?"  
"N-No, sir! Never!"

"_Good._"

"These two... They're destined to be together. Even if you had taken away Kyle's wings and sent him up to be with the other humans, Kenneth would still end up with him in the end. There's nothing anyone can do about that. Kyle's choice proves that. He chose love over heaven, because his heaven is down there, with Kenneth."

"_What a bunch of poetic BS..._" thought the judge. "_But he's the boss. There's nothing we can do to change his mind._"

"...C'mon, Eli. Let's go."

Eli and the judge begrudgingly went back to their day jobs, although Eli still wondered what had made Kyle choose what he did. The judge, on the other hand, convinced of his own superiority, still mocked Kyle's choice.

* * *

A few hours later, Eli looked down once again. Their connection was clear, and it reminded him that he too once felt like that. For a brief moment, he felt sad, because he knew that he had never experienced something like that. He had never even heard of something like that happening before.

"_...Now I understand why he chose to stay down there... He's right. I wish I had had a choice... But now it's too late. I hope the boss is right about you, Kyle... You deserve to be happy._"


End file.
